


So SUMMNUNALENTCRNUUELSHAANSACQEUNEDEEVNTEIUCMUONDEOOSNE ORIN IEA 


UUM SLU eS LULL Le LLL LALLA ULL LULL 


THE DIVINE SONGS | 


of 2 
ZARATHUSHTRA > 
D. Sates 


OTHE UT STI eID O TH eee UU SLUT i 


Ue e LEU LE LY 


SUM e UT 1 














BE GLS15 AS51624 
Avesta. 


The divine songs of 
Zarathushtra 











Digitized by the Internet Archive - 
in 2022 with funding from 
| Princeton Theological Seminary Library _ 






__ https://archive.org/details/divinesongsofzar00t 
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THE DIVINE SONGS 
OF ZARATHUSHTRA 


BY 


Da RAN 


WITH AN INTRODUCTION 


BY 


RABINDRANATH TAGORE 







<* i 


MAY 22 1998 





we 
Heer ocicaL SY 


NEW YORK: 
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
1924. 


Printcd in Great Britain 


(All rights reserved) 


UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED, LONDON AND WOKING 


THE DIVINE SONGS OF 
ZARATHUSHTRA 


INTRODUCTION 


© Tue most important of all outstanding facts of Iranian 
history is the religious reform brought about by 
Zarathushtra. He was the first man we know who 
gave a definitely moral character and direction to 
religion, and at the same time preached the doctrine 
of monotheism, which offered an eternal foundation of 
reality to goodness as an ideal of perfection. All 
religions of the primitive type try to keep men bound 
with regulations of external observances. These, no 
doubt, have the hypnotic effect of vaguely suggesting 
a realm of right and wrong; but the dimness of their 
light produces phantasms leaving men to aberrations. 
Zarathushtra was the greatest of all the pioneer pro- 
phets who showed the path of freedom to men, the 
freedom of moral choice, the freedom from blind 
obedience to unmeaning injunctions, freedom from 
the multiplicity of shrines which draw our worship 
away from the single-minded chastity of devotion. To 
most of us it sounds like a truism to-day when we 


5 


are told that the moral goodness of a deed comes from 
the goodness of intention. But it is a truth which 
once came to a man like a revelation of light in the 
darkness and has not yet reached all the obscure corners 
of humanity. There are men we still see around us 
who fearfully follow, hoping thereby to gain merit, 
the path of blind formalisms, which have no living 
moral source in the mind. This will make us under- 
stand the greatness of Zarathushtra. Though sur- 
rounded by believers in magical rites, he proclaimed in 
those dark days of unreason, that religion has its truth 
in its moral significance, not in external practices of 
imaginary value; that it is to uphold man in his hfe 
of good thoughts, good words and good deeds. 

The outer expression of truth reaches its white light 
of simplicity through its inner realisation. True 
simplicity is the physiognomy of perfection. In the 
primitive stage of spiritual growth, when man is dimly 
aware of the mystery of the infinite in his life and the 
world, when he does not fully know the inward 
character of his relationship with this truth, his first 
feeling is either that of dread or of a greed of gain. 
This drives him into wild exaggeration in worship, into 
frenzied convulsion of ceremonialism. But in Zara- 
thushtra’s teachings, which are best reflected in his 
Gathas, we have hardly any mention of the ritualism 
of worship. Conduct and its moral motives, such as 
Vohumano, Asha and Aramaiti, have received almost 
the sole attention in them. 

The orthodox Persian form of worship in ancient Iran 
included animal sacrifices and offering of haoma to the 
daevas. That all this should be discountenanced by 
Zarathushtra not only shows his courage, but the 


6 


strength of his realisation of the Supreme Being as 
Spirit. We are told that it has been mentioned by 
Plutarch: ‘“‘ Zarathushtra taught the Persians to 
sacrifice to Ahura Mazda ‘ vows and thanksgivings.’ ”’ 
The distance between faith in the efficacy of blood- 
stained magical rites and cultivation of moral and 
spiritual ideals as the true form of worship is immense. 
It is amazing to see how Zarathushtra was the first 
among men who crossed this distance with a certainty 
of realisation which imparted such a fervour of faith 
in his life and his words. The truth which filled his 
mind was not a thing borrowed from books or received 
from teachers. He did not come to it by following a 
prescribed path of tradition. It flashed upon him as 
an illumination of his entire life, almost like a com- 
munication to his personal self, and he proclaimed 
the utmost immediacy of his knowledge in_ these 
words : 

“When I conceived of Thee, O Mazda, as the very 
First and the Last, as the most Adorable One, as the 
Father of Good Thought, as the Creator of Truth and 
Right, as the Lord Judge of our actions in life, then 
I made a place for Thee in my very eyes.’’—Yasna, 31-8. 
(Translation by D. J. Irani.) 

It was the direct stirring of his soul which made 
him say :— 

“Thus do I announce the Greatest of all. I weave 
my songs of praise for Him through Truth, helpful 
and beneficent to all that live. Let Ahura Mazda 
listen to them with His Holy Spirit, for the Good 
Mind instructed me to adore Him; by His Wisdom 
let Him teach me about what is best.’’-—Yasna, 45-6. 

The truth which is not reached through the analytical 


~ 


/ 


process of reasoning, and does not depend for proof 
on some corroboration of outward facts, or the pre-— 
valent faith and practice of the people—the truth, 
which comes like an inspiration out of context with 
its surroundings, brings with it an assurance that it 
has been sent from a divine source of wisdom; that 
the individual who has received it is specially chosen — 
and therefore has his responsibility as the messenger 
of God. Zarathushtra felt this sacredness of his mission — 
and believed himself to be the direct medium of com- 
munication of Divine Truth. 

So long as man deals with his God as the dispenser | 
of benefits to the worshipper, who knows the secret — 
of propitiating him, he tries to keep him for his own 
self or for the tribe to which he belongs. But directly — 
the moral or spiritual nature of God is apprehended, ~ 
this knowledge is thrown open to all humanity; and 
then the idea of God, which once gave unity only to 
a special people, transcends limitations of race and — 
gathers together all human beings within one spiritual 
circle of union. Zarathushtra was the first prophet 
who emancipated religion from the exclusive narrow- 
ness of the tribal God, the God of a chosen people, 
and offered it to the universal man. This is a great 
fact in the history of religion. The Master said, when 
the enlightenment came to him: 

“Verily I believe Thee, O Ahura Mazda, to be the 
Supreme Benevolent Providence, when Sraosha came 
to me with the Good Mind, when first I received 
and became wise with Thy words! And though 
the task be difficult, though woe may come to me, 
I shall proclaim to all mankind Thy message, which 
Thou declarest to be the best.’—Yasna, 43-II. 

8 





He prays to Mazda: 

“This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura, the 
religion that is best for all mankind—the religion, 
based on truth, which should prosper all that is mine, 
the religion which establishes our actions in order and 
Justice by the Divine Songs of Perfect Piety, which 
has, for its intelligent desire of desires, the desire for 
Thee, O Mazda !’’—Yasna, 44-10. 

With the undoubted assurance and hope of one who 
has got a direct vision of Truth he speaks to the world : 

“ Hearken unto me, Ye, who come from far and 
near! Listen, for I shall speak forth now; ponder 
well over all things, weigh my words with care and 
clear thought. Never shall the false teacher destroy 
this world for a second time; for his tongue stands 
mute, his creed exposed.’””—Yasna, 45-1. 

I think it can be said without doubt that such a 
high conception of religion, uttered in such a clear 
note of affirmation, with a sure conviction that it is a 
truth of the ultimate ideal of perfection which must 
be revealed to all humanity, even at the cost of martyr- 
dom, is unique in the history of religion belonging to 
such a remote dawn of civilisation. 

There was a time when along with other Aryan 
peoples the Persians also worshipped the elemental 
gods of nature, on whose favour they depended for 
the good things of life. But such favour was not to 
be won by any moral duty performed or by any service 
of love. In fact, it was the crude beginning of the 
scientific spirit trying to unlock the hidden sources of 
power in nature. But through it all there must have 
been some current of deeper desire which constantly 
contradicted the cult of power and indicated a world 


2 


of inner good infinitely more precious than material 
gain. Its voice was not strong at first, nor was it 
heeded by the majority of the people ; but its influence, 
like the life within the seed, was silently working. Then 
comes the great teacher; and in his life and mind 
the hidden fire of truth suddenly bursts out in a flame. 
The best in the people works for long obscure ages in 
hints and whispers till it finds its voice, which can 
never again be silenced. For that voice becomes the 
voice of mankind, no longer confined to a particular 
time or people. It works across intervals of silence 
and oblivion, depression and defeat, and comes out 
again and again with its conquering call. It is a call 
to the fighter—the fighter against untruth—against 
all that lures away man’s spirit from its high mission 
of freedom into the meshes of materialism. And 
Zarathushtra’s voice is still a living voice, not a mere 
matter of academic interest for historical scholars 
who deal with the dead facts of the past. It is not a 
voice which is only to guide a small community of 
men in the daily details of their life. For have we 
not seen that Zarathushtra was the first of all teachers 
who, in his religious teachings, sent his words to all 
human races across the distance of space and time ? 
He was not like a man who by some chance of friction 
had lighted a lamp, and knowing that it could not be 
shared by all, secured it with a miser’s care for his 
own domestic use. But he was the watcher in the 
night, who stood on the lonely peak facing the East 
and broke out singing the poems of light to the sleeping 
world when the sun came out on the brim of the 
horizon. He declared that the sun of truth is for all, 
that its light is to unite the far and the near. Such a 
10 


message always arouses the antagonism of those whose 
habits have become nocturnal, whose vested interest is 
in the darkness. And there was a bitter fight in the 
lifetime of the prophet between his followers and 
others who were addicted to the ceremonies that had 
tradition on their side and not truth. 

We are told that “‘ Zarathushtra was descended 
from a kingly family,’’ and also that the first converts 
to his doctrines were of the ruling caste. But the 
priesthood, “the Kavis and the Karapans, often suc- 
ceeded in bringing the rulers over to their side.’’ So 
we find that, in this fight, the princes of the land 
divided themselves into two opposite parties, as we 
find in India in the Kurukshetra war. ‘‘ With the 
princes have the Kavis and the Karapans united, 
in order to corrupt man by their evil deeds.’’ Among 
the princes that stood against Zarathushtra, as his 
enemies, the mighty Bendva might be _ included, 
who is mentioned in Yasna, xlix, I-2. From the 
context we may surmise that he stood on the 
side of the infidels. A family or a race of princely 
blood were probably the Grehma (Yasna, Xxxli, 12-14). 
Regarding them it is said that they “having ailied 
with the Kavis and the Karapans, have established 
their power in order to overpower the prophet and his 
partisans. In fact, the opposition between the pious 
and the impious, the believers and the unbelievers, 
seem very often to have led to open combat. The 
prophet prays to Ahura that he may grant victory 
to his own, when both the armies rush together in 
combat, whereby they can cause defeat among the 
wicked, and procure for them strife and trouble.” 

There is evidence in our Indian legends that in ancient 

II 


India also there have been fights between the repre- 
sentatives of the orthodox faith and the Kshatriyas, 
who, owing to their own special vocation, had a com- 
parative freedom of mind about the religion of external 
observances. The proofs are strong enough to lead 
us to believe that the monotheistic religious movement 
had its origin and principal support in the kingly caste 
of those days, though a great number of them fought 
to oppose it. 

I have discussed in another place the growth in 
ancient India of the moral and spiritual element in 
her religion which had accompanied the Indian Aryan 
people from the time of the Indo-Iranian age, showing 
how the struggle with its antagonistic force has con- 
tinued all through the history of India. I have shown 
how the revolution which accompanied the teachings 
of Zarathushtra, breaking out into severe fights, had 
its close analogy in the religious revolution in India 
whose ideals are still preserved in the Bhagavadgita. 

It is interesting to note that the growth of the 
same ideal in the same race in different geographical 
situations has produced results that, in spite of their 
unity, have some aspect of difference. The Iranian 
monotheism is more ethical, while the Indian is more 
metaphysical in its character. Such a difference in 
their respective spiritual developments was owing, no 
doubt, to the more active vigour of life in the old 
Persians and the contemplative quietude of mind in 
the Indians, This distinction in the latter arises in a 
great measure out of the climatic conditions of the 
country, the easy fertility of the soil and the great 
stretch of plains in Northern India affording no con- 
stant obstacles in physical nature to be daily overcome 

12 


by man, while the climate of Persia is more bracing 
and the surface of the soil more rugged. The 
Zoroastrian ideal has accepted the challenge of the 
principle of evil and has enlisted itself in the fight on 
the side of Ahura Mazda, the great, the good, the 
wise. In India, although the ethical side is not absent, 
the emphasis has been more strongly laid on sub- 
jective realisation through a stoical suppression of 
desire, and the attainment of a perfect equanimity of 
mind by cultivating indifference to all causes of joy 
and sorrow. Here the idea, over which the minds of 
men brooded for ages, in an introspective intensity of 
silence, was that man as a spiritual being had to 
realise the truth by breaking through his sheath of 
self. All the desires and feelings that limit his being 
are keeping him shut in from the region of spiritual 
freedom. 

In man the spirit of creation is waiting to find its 
ultimate release in an meffable illumination of Truth. 
The aspiration of India is for attaining the infinite in 
the spirit of man. On the other hand, as I have said 
before, the ideal of Zoroastrian Persia is distinctly 
ethical. It sends its call to men to work together 
with the Eternal Spirit of Good in spreading and main- 
taining Kshatra, the Kingdom of Righteousness, against 
all attacks of evil. This ideal gives us our place as 
collaborators with God in distributing His blessings 
over the world. 

‘‘ Clear is this all to the man of wisdom as to the man 
- who carefully thinks; he who upholds Truth with all 
the might of his power, he who upholds Truth the 
utmost in his word and deed, he, indeed, is thy most 
valued helper, O Mazda Ahura! ’’—Yasna, 31-22. 


3 


It is, in fact, of supreme moment to us that the 
human world is in an incessant state of war between 
that which will save us and that which will drag us 
into the abyss of disaster. Our one hope lies in the 
fact that Ahura Mazda is on our side if we choose 
the right course.. The law of warfare is severe in its 
character; it allows no compromise. “‘ None of you,” 
says Zarathushtra, ‘shall find the doctrine and pre- 
cepts of the wicked; because thereby he will bring 
grief and death in his house and village, in his land 
and people! No, grip your sword and cut them 
down !’’—Yasna, xxxi, 18. 

Such a relentless attitude of fight reminds us of the 
Old Testament spirit. The active heroic aspect of 
this religion reflects the character of the people them- 
selves, who later on spread their conquests far and 
wide and built up great empires by the might of their 
sword. They accepted this world in all seriousness. 
They had zest in life and confidence in their own 
strength. They belonged to the western half of Asia, 
and their great influence travelled through the neigh- 
bouring civilisation of India and towards the Western 
Continent. Their ideal was the ideal of the fighter. 
By the force of their will and deed of sacrifice they 
were to conquer haurvatat, welfare in this world, and 
ameratat, immortality in the other. This is the best 
ideal of the West, the great truth of fight. For Para- 
dise has to be gained through conquest. That sacred 
task is for the heroes, who are to take the right side 
in the battle and the right weapons. 


RABINDRANATH TAGORE. 


14 





THE DIVINE SONGS 
OF ZARATHUSHTRA 


Aah 
af ae 
Ai ie) oc 


fai bas 


| Hick 


A "i ”, a 4 y ie " iy 


Mb, 0 : ‘\ 


ne uh eh 





I 


With bended knees, with hands outstretched, I pray 
Lom nee my lord, 

Invisible benevolent Spirit ! 

Vouchsafe to me in this hour of joy, 

All righteousness of action, all wisdom of the Good 
Mind, 

That I may thereby bring joy to the soul of creation. 


II 


He who, in the first beginning, thus thought: “ Let 
the glorious heavens be clothed in light,”’ 

He, by His supreme Understanding, created the 
principles of Truth and Right, 

Enabling mortals thereby to maintain the Good Mind ; 

O Wise Lord, O ever-the-same Ahura, by Thy Holy 
Spirit make these realms to flourish ! 


17 B 


III 


The Supreme, the Best Being of all, the Source of 
Light for the world, art Thou, O Mazda! 

As the Fountain of Light, as the World-Creator, Thou 
revealest Thyself, O most benevolent Mazda ! 
With Thy love, bless us with all things good, for all 

the days of a long life, O Mazda! | 


IV 


Grant me, O Truth, the blessing which is the fruit of 
the Good Mind ! 

Grant me, O Piety, to me and to Vistaspa, our 
cherished desires ! 

And grant, O Mazda, my sovereign Lord, that reciting 
Thy holy words of revelation, I may make Thy 
felicitous Message heard ! 


18 


V 


Come Thou, Eternal Spirit of Life ! 

Come, through the Good Mind! 

Come, with Thy gifts for Righteousness ! 

For his sublime and righteous words, give Thou to 
Zarathushtra and to us Thy gracious help, O 
Mazda, 

Whereby we may overcome the evil of the wrong-doers. 


VI 


Ahura Mazda, and Spirit of Truth! 

Grant These, my followers, such strength and spiritual 
power, 

That with the help of the Benevolent Mind they may 
bring to the world restful joy and happiness, 

Of which Thou, my Lord, art indeed the First 
Possessor ! 


= 


Vil 


I shall take the soul to the House of Songs, with the 
help of the Good Mind! 

Knowing the blissful rewards of Ahura Mazda for 
righteous deeds, 

As long as I have power and strength, I shall teach 
all to seek for Truth and Right. 


VIII 


Through these divine songs, 

For evermore shall I preserve Righteousness and the 
Good Mind for the people. 

To enable me to apprise all, teach me, O Mazda, 

In Thine own Spirit and in Thy words, 

The principles of existence of this First Life. 


20 


IX 


Unto Thee, O Lord, the Soul of Creation cried,— 

“For whom didst Thou create me, and who so 
fashioned me? 

Feuds and fury, violence and the insolence of might, 

| have oppressed me ; 

None have I to protect me save Thee, 

Command for me, then, the blessings of a settled, 
peaceful life.”’ 


x 


Mazda knows best what works have been wrought 
by the followers of evil and by mortal men ; 
And He knows what shall be wrought by them for 

ever hereafter. 
The Lord Ahura is the discerning Judge ; 
To us let it be as He shall will. 


aay 


XI 


Thus we two, my soul and the soul of creation, 
prayed with hands outstretched to the Lord Ahura, 

Thus we two urged Mazda with entreaties,— 

“Let not destruction overtake the right-living, 

Let not the diligent good suffer at the hands of the 
evil,” 


XII 


Thus spake Ahura Mazda :— 

“The one, who alone has hearkened to my commands 
and is known to me, is Zarathushtra Spitama ; 

For his Creator and for Truth, he wishes to announce 
my Holy Message ; 

Wherefore I shall bestow on him the charm of speech.” 


XII 


When shall Truth, the Good Mind, and Holy Sove- 

Se reienty, hasten to me, my Lord ? 

Do Thou assign them to me for the sake of the Great 
Dispensation ! 

And verily grant now to us, Thy devoted servants, 
Thine own gracious help for this Great Cause ! 


XIV 


When shall I know, O Ahura, how Thou dost rule 
_ with Truth and Justice 

Over those who oppress me and cast me in fear and 
doubt ? 

Aright for me, the Saviour-to-be, let the woven word 
of delight be given, 

The word of beatific mystery, what the blessed End 
is to be! 


at 


Verb me, ity Lore, 

The reward Thou shalt give by Thy Spirit and by 
Thy Fire, 

The blessing Thou shalt assign, through Truth, to those 
fighting for Thy Cause, 

The holy law meant for the enlightened. 

Tell me about these all, in Thine own words and with 
Thine own lips, 

That I may thereby cause all that are living to 
follow Thy Right Path. 


XVI 


O ye, who come to seek knowledge, now shall I proclaim 
to you the joyful message of the Wise Creator, 

The hymns unto Ahura, and the prayer-offerings of the 
Good Mind, 

The sublime Truth I see arising from these sacred 
flames, 

And the glorious vision of the Heavenly Lights attain- 
able through Truth sublime. 


XVII 


Hearken with your ears to these best counsels: 

Gaze at these beams of fire and contemplate with your 
best judgment ; 

Let each man choose his creed, with that freedom of 
choice which each must have at great events ; 

O ye, awake to these my announcements ! 


XVIII 


In the beginning, there were two Primal Spirits, Twins 
spontaneously active ; 

These are the Good and the Evil, in thought, and in 
word, and in deed: 

Between these two, let the wise choose aright ; 

Be good, not base. 


25 


XIX 


And when these Twin Spirits came together at first, 

They established Life and Non-Life, 

And so shall it be as long as the world shall last ; 

The worst existence shall be the lot of the followers 
of evil, 

And the Good Mind shall be the reward of the 
followers of good. 


XX 


Of these Twin Spirits, the Evil One chose to do the 
worst ; 

While the bountiful Holy Spirit of Goodness, 

Clothing itself with the massy heavens for a garment, 
chose the Truth ; 

And so will those who would fain please Ahura Mazda 
with righteous deeds, performed with faith in 
Truth. 


26 


XXI 


Let him that knows tell him that would know, which 
of the two creeds is better, 

The belief of the righteous, or of the liar ? 

Let not the unenlightened deceive you any more! 

Be Thou to us, O Mazda Ahura, the bestower of Good 
Thought. 


XXIT 


So may we be like those making the world progress 
towards perfection ; 

May the Lord and His Angels help us and guide our 
efforts through Truth ; 

For a thinking man is where Wisdom is at home. 


a] 


AXITI 


Then at last shalt Thou come, with Thy bountiful 


Spirit, O Mazda, 

With Thy sovereign power, and with Thy Good Mind, 

Which bringeth. prosperity to the people of the 
world. 

Perfect Truth shall teach to these people the Eternal 
Laws of Thy Wisdom, 

The Wisdom which none can deceive. 


XAIV 


And when there cometh Divine Retribution for the 
Evil One, 

Then at Thy command shall the Good Mind establish 
the Kingdom of Heaven, O Mazda, 

For those who will deliver Untruth into the hands of 
Righteousness and Truth. 


28 


XXV 


Then truly cometh the blow of destruction on Untruth, 

And all those of good fame are garnered up in the 
Fair Abode, 

The Fair Abode of the Good Mind, the Wise Lord, 
and of Truth ! 


XXVI 


O ye mortals, mark these commandments— 

The commandments which the Wise Lord has given, 
for Happiness and for Pain ; 

Long punishment for the evil-doer, and bliss for the 
follower of Truth, 

The joy of Salvation for the Righteous ever afterwards ! 


29 


XXVIT 


If through this Message ye realise the Eternal Truths, 
and recognise the better life, 

Then shall I come to you all, and help you in your 
right selection between the Twin-Spirits, 

And then, indeed, shall we all live our lives in 
accordance with Truth and Right. 


XXVIII 


I pray to Thee, my Lord, 

Give me the help of Truth, at a moment supremely 
crucial, 

Give me the help of Thy valiant captains, O Mazda! 

Give me the help of the blessed Armaiti, the Angel of 
loving Piety, 

And give me that holy sovereign power, O Lord, 

That I may for ever vanquish thereby the Evil Spirit 
of Untruth. 


30 


XXIX 


Teach me, my Lord, to discriminate what Thou, through 
Right, hast appointed for me as the better portion ; 

Teach me, my Lord, with the help of the Good Mind, 
to know and to cherish my rights ; 

And apprise me, O Mazda, of all things that are to be 
and not to be. 


XXX 


When I conceived of Thee, O Mazda, 

As the very First, and the Last, 

As the Most Adorable One, 

As the Father of Good Thought, 

As the veritable Creator of Truth and Right, 

As the Lord Judge of our actions in Life, 

Then I made a place for Thee in my very eyes! 


See 


XXXI 


Thus do I announce the Greatest of all! 

I weave my songs of praise for Him through Truth— 
helpful and beneficent to all that live. 

Let Ahura Mazda hearken unto them with His Holy 
Spirit, 

For the Good Mind instructed me to adore Him; 

By His Wisdom let Him teach me what is best. 


XXXII 


Then I will ask Thee, O Mazda, 

Of the events happening and the events to happen, 

What requitals, in accord with their deeds, are appointed 
for the truthful righteous, and what for the lying 
sinners ; 

What shall be the consummation when they come to 
the last reckoning. 


32 


XXXITI 


And this I ask Thee, O Ahura Mazda! 

The truthful righteous striving to further the well-being 
of his house, his province and his country, 

How shall he be like unto Thee? 

When shall he be worthy of Thee? 

What actions of his shall most appeal to Thee ? 


XXXIV 


Clear is all this to the man of wisdom, as to the man 
who carefully thinks, 
He who upholds Truth with all the might of his power, 
He who upholds Truth to the utmost in his word and 
! deed, 
He, indeed, is Thy most valued helper, O Mazda Ahura ! 


33 Cc 


XXXV 


To him, who is Thy true friend in spirit and in 
actions, O Mazda Ahura, 

To him Thou shalt give Healthful Weal and Immor- 
tality ; 

To him Thou shalt give perpetual communion with 
Truth and the Kingdom of Heaven, 

And to him Thou shalt give the sustaining strength 
of the Good Mind. 


XXXVI 


But whoso deceiveth the good and the righteous, 

For him shall be the future long life of misery and 
darkness, woe and despair. 

O ye men of evil lives! Your own deeds shall lead 
you to this dark existence. 


34 


XXXVIT 


Oh evil ones, . 

Ye are a seed of the evil mind, 

Ye are a seed of arrogance and perversity ! 

And so are those that honour you! 

Your evil deeds have long been known in the seven 
regions of the earth. 


XXXVIII 


For ye liars confound the human mind, and make 
men act their worst, 

Make them speak as lovers of Untruth, 

Rejected of the Good Mind, 

Departing from the will of the Lord Mazda, 

Divorced from Truth and Right. 


35 


XAXXIX 


Ah, the teacher of Evil! 

The teacher of Evil destroys the Understanding ; 

He destroys the design of life, 

Snatches away the only blessed and real wealth of 
the Good Mind! 

With these words, proceeding from my very heart and 
spirit, I cry and complain to Thee, O Mazda, and 
to the Spirit of Truth. 


is 


Listen, listen unto the Teller of Truth, 

Listen unto him who thinks of Right and Truth, 

Listen unto him, the enlightened and the knowing, 

Who, standing before Thy holy Fire, O Mazda, with 
his powerful words and free tongue, 

Reveals the Truth to the contending sides. 


36 


XLI 


He who is most good to the righteous, 

Be he a noble, or a peasant, or a dependent— 

He who zealously cares for cattle and protects God’s 
good creation, 

He shall be hereafter in the beautiful realm of Truth 
and the Good Mind. 


XLII 


He who shows the righteous path of truth and happi- 
ness, both in this world and in the next, which 
is Thy abode, O Ahura, 

Attains an end better than the good. 

A generous helper, a noble citizen, a faithful follower 
worthy of Thee is he, O Mazda! 


37 


AUT 


He who abhors the light of the sun, 

He who refuses to behold, with both his eyes, God’s 
good creation, 

He who makes offerings to the wicked, 

He who makes the meadows waterless and the pastures 
desolate, 

He who lets fly his weapon against the innocent, 

An enemy of my faith, a destroyer of my principles, 
is he, O Mazda! 


XLIV 


And these evil-doers, 

Who dwell in the abode of the worst mind, 

Who yearn for ill-gotten gains, 

Who wantonly destroy life, 

Who obtaining a wish yet seethe in discontent 
—These Kavis and Karpans— 

Debarred of Thy Prophet’s Message, 

They shall not behold the beatific Vision of Truth. 


38 


XLV 


O ye, men and women ! 

When the tainted cravings and selfish desires inner- 
most in you are all rooted out, 

When all the evil within you is suppressed for ever, 

Then shall the Blessed Reward be yours for the Great 
Work ! 

And if ye fail, then, ‘“ Alas! Alas!” will be your 
ultimate cry. 


XLVI 


He who fights Evil, either by his thought or word, 

Or with the might of his two hands, 

He who instructs people to their good, 

Makes a worthy offering of faith, in his love of Thee, 
O Ahura Mazda! 


39 


XLVII 


With Thy Message shall I undo the work of the evil- 
doers. 

No more shall the wicked Kavis and Karpans rule 
over the lives of the Righteous ; 

And the Angels of Healthful Weal and Deathless 
Immortality shall escort the good to the Abode 
of the Good Mind. 


XLVIII 


In times of doubt, O Mazda Ahura ! 

In times of stress and strife, Thou Best One! 

When the vengeful harm of the wicked threatens us, 
We shall recall all the best Thou hast taught us, 

In the wide bright glow of the Altar-flame ! 


40 


XLIX 


Come hither to me, in Thine own Person, Ahura Mazda ! 

Come to my rites, Thou Best One! 

Come with Thy Spirit of Truth and Thy Good Mind ! 

Let my message be listened to beyond the limits of 
the cultured ; 

Let the precious offerings of humble prayers be 
manifest to all. 


L 


Do Thou make known to me the ultimate good, the 
final end, 

Then shall I bring about the Consummation with the 
help of the Good Mind! 

Accept, O Mazda, the loving homage of Thy devoted 
servants ; 

Accept, O Truth, my hymn of praise for Thee ; 

Grant, grant to us, Spirits of Deathless Weal and 
Immortality, your own two everlasting blessings. 


41 


ib} 


This precious reward of Thine, O Mazda, 

Thou givest by way of the Good Mind— 

Thou givest to the vigorous bodily life of him who 
works for and tends to Thy Creation, 

Who furthers Thy beneficent plan by the toil of his 
understanding, 

Guided verily by Thy Spirit of Truth. 


al 


And with the blessings of these comrade spirits of 
Deathless Well-being and Immortality, 

Let all advance to Thee, O Mazda! 

Let all advance the Cause of Truth ! 

Let all advance to the Shining Abode of Wisdom, with 
a mind best-fitted for it! 

Sure is the support of these Twain whose Spirits work 
together. 


42 


LITl 


All the joys of life, which Thou holdest, O Mazda! 

The joys that were, the joys that are, and the joys 
that shall be, 

Thou dost apportion all in Thy Love for us. 

O Wise Lord! through Thy sovereign authority let 
us advance to the desired beatitude, 

With the help of the Good Mind, with the help of 
Truth ! 


LIV 


Hearken unto me, 

O most benevolent Ahura Mazda! 

O ye Spirits of Devotion and Truth that bless our 
existence ! 

O Good Mind, and Dominion of Heaven! 

Hearken unto me, be merciful to me, help me in all 
my actions ! 


43 


LV 


Arise, arise for me, O Ahura Mazda ! 

Through Thy most bounteous Spirit, purify me ! 

Through my good devotion, give me vigour and strength ! 

Through the guiding Spirit of Truth, give me courage 
and spiritual might ! 

And through the Good Mind, make me the Leader of 
the Good ! 


LVI 


With Thy divine and helpful grace, O Mazda Ahura, 

Make wide the vision of my mind ; 

Make manifest Thine everlasting attributes ; 

Make known the blessings of Thy Kingdom of Heaven 
and the joyous recompense of the Good Mind! 

Angel of Love and Devotion, through Truth enlighten 
all with the right principles of Thy Faith ! 


44 


LVII 


To the Lord Mazda, as an offering, 

Zarathushtra dedicates the life and vigour of his own 
body, 

The choicest essence of his Good Thought ; 

To Truth with its principles he consecrates obedience, 
in word and deed, and all the might of his 
spiritual authority ! 


Dvd) 


What is Thy power? And what is Thy wealth, O 
Mazda ? 

How can my actions be likened unto Thine, my Lord ? 

Indeed thus: Through Righteousness and through a 
benevolent mind, by nourishing and succouring 
Thy poor, O Ahura! 

We will declare this before all—both to the robber 
gangs and to the evil and poor-minded men. 


45 


LIX 


Where are those helpers, O Mazda, enlightened of the 
Good Mind, 

Who, even in times of woe, 

Would stand by Thy treasured doctrines and spread 
wide the light of Thy Faith ? 

None do I know other than Thee, O Truth, to protect 
and save us. 


LX 


Happiness be the lot of him who works for others’ 
happiness. 

May the Supreme Lord grant him the powers of health 
and strength ! 

For the struggle to uphold Truth, I beseech these very 
gifts from Thee, O Lord! 

Mayst Thou, through Armaiti, the Angel of loving 
Piety, bless me with perfection and a life guided 
by the Good Mind! 


46 


LXI 


Verily, I will regard Thee as the All-Powerful Bene- 
factor, O Mazda ! 

For with Thy cherishing hand Thou offerest help both 
to the righteous as well as to the wicked. 

Through the flaming splendour of Thy Fire, mighty 
through Truth, 

The vigour of a good mind has come to me, O Mazda ! 


LAII 


Verily, I believed Thee, O Ahura Mazda, to be the 
supreme benevolent Providence, 

For I beheld Thee as the Primeval Cause of all creation. 

For by Thy perfect Intelligence Thou shalt render 
just recompense for all actions, good to the good, 
evil to the evil, till the last day of creation. 


47 


LXIII 


Verily, I believed Thee, O Mazda, to be the supreme 
benevolent Providence, 

When Sraosha, with the Good Mind, came and asked 
me :— 

“Who art thou?’ “Whose art -"thon (> sass 
dost thou propose to enlighten the hearts of men 
in this country and answer their questionings ? ”’ 


LXIV 


To him I replied: “ Firstly, I am Zarathushtra. 

A veritable enemy to the evil-doer, but a joy-giving 
powerful friend to the good, am I.” 

So long as I can praise Thee, and weave my songs 
for Thee, O Mazda! 

So long shall I strive to enlighten and awaken all to 
the realisation of Thy absolute sovereignty. 


LXV 


Verily, I believed Thee, O Ahura Mazda, to be the 
supreme benevolent Providence, 

When Sraosha, with the Good Mind, came and asked 
me, 

“What gift wouldst thou love to obtain ?”’ 

Standing at Thy Fire in humble prayer, I replied: 

‘“So far as it is in my power, I shall cherish the gift 
of kighteousness.’’ 


Eyl 


Verily, I believed Thee, O Ahura Mazda, to be the 
supreme benevolent Providence, 

When Sraosha came to me with the Good Mind, 

When first I received and became wise with Thy 
words ! 

And though the task be difficult, though woe may 
come to me, 

I shall proclaim to all mankind Thy Message, which 
Thou declarest to be the best. 


49 D 


LXVII : | 


Verily, I believed Thee, O Ahura Mazda, to be the 
supreme benevolent Providence, .) 

When Sraosha came to me with the Good Mind, and ~ 
told me assuringly, 

That a contented mind is the best possession ; 

Let not a leader try to please and propitiate evil-doers, 

For they treat the righteous as harmful enemies. 


a a 


EXVILI 


O Ahura Mazda, thus prays Zarathushtra and all holy 
men who have chosen as their guide Thy most 
benevolent Spirit :— 

“May Righteousness, strong with vital vigour, become ( 
incarnate in the faithful ! 

In Thy sun-lit realms, may Armaiti, the Angel of 
Love and Devotion, reside ! 

Through the Good Mind, may righteous recompense be 
granted to all in accordance with their deeds! ”’ 


50 





LXIX 


This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura! 

What is the source of the Best Existence ? 

How do those who seek for it get the blessed 
recompense ? 

Verily a benevolent bountiful Providence, 

A Guardian warding off ruin from all, 

A genuine Friend of the people, art Thou, O Mazda! 


LXX 


This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Mazda! 

Who so balanced the earth and the heavens, and 
keeps them from falling away ? 

Who created the waters and the plants ? 

Who yoked swiftness to the winds and motion to the 
clouds ? 

Who save Thyself is the Creator of the Good Mind, 
O Mazda ? 


LXXI 


This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura! 

What great artist created light and darkness ? 

What artisan produced the calm of restful sleep and 
the zeal of active life ? 

Who made the dawn, the moon, and the night, 


That, like monitors, call enlightened men to their 
duties ? 


LXXII 


This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura! 

What are Thy maxims for my meditation, O Mazda ? 

Which are the Divine Hymns, inspired by the Good 
Mind, I had asked for ? 

What songs of Truth will bring me the allegiance of 
people ° 


How shall my soul partake of the Good that is ever 
on the increase ? 


52 


LXXIII 


This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura, 

The religion that is the best for all mankind,— 

The religion, based on Truth, which should prosper 
all that is mine, 

The religion which establishes our actions in order 
and justice by the Divine Songs of perfect Piety, 

Which has for its intelligent desire of desires, the 
Desire for Thee, O Mazda! 


LXXIV 


This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura! 

How shall I drive away the Spirit of Untruth, the 
Lie-demon from amongst us, 

To those beneath, to the unfaithful and the disobedient, 

Who strive not to be the companions of Truth, 

Who care not to listen to the counsels of the Good 
Mind ? 


33 


LXXV 


This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura! 

How shall I deliver the Lie into the hands of Truth ? 

When shall I smite her by the holy hymns of Thy 
True Faith? 

How shall I destroy the evil liars before they attain 
their object ? 


LXXVI 


This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura! 

How can my yearning love attract Thee to me ? 

How can I attain to Thy Perfection, and make my 
voice effectual ? 

Through these Divine songs, which receive their 
guiding light from Truth, 

May all receive the two gifts of Well-being and 
Immortality during my protecting leadership ! 


54 


LXXVII 


This I ask Thee, tell me truly, O Ahura! 

He who will not give due recompense to the one who 
well earns it, 

Even unto the truthful man who fulfils his word and 
work, 

What penalty should he pay first here ? 

For verily, I know well what he will get at the last 
hereafter. 


LXXVIII 


Hearken unto me, 

O ye, who come from near and from far! 

Listen! Listen unto me, for I shall speak forth now, 

Ponder well over all things, 

Weigh my words with care and clear thought ; 

Never shall the False Teacher destroy this world for 
a second time, 

For his tongue stands mute, his creed stands exposed. 


op 





LAATX 


I shall tell you now of the Twin Spirits, at the first 
beginning of Creation ; 

The Holier of the two thus spake to the Evil One :— 

“Neither our thoughts, nor our teachings, . 

Neither our intelligence, nor our beliefs, 

Neither our words, nor our deeds, 

Neither our selves, nor our souls, ever agree.”’ 


LXXX 


I shall tell you now what is best in this life, 

It is to act in consonance with the Spirit of Truth, 
the holy Asha, 

As Mazda Ahura knows, who created him— 

Ahura Mazda, the father of the toiling Good Mind, 

Ahura Mazda, the father of Armaiti, of good action 
and zeal, 

Ahura Mazda, the All-Seeing, whom none can deceive ! 


56 


LXXxXI 


I shall tell you now what the Most Holy declared 


Loerie, 

As the word that is best for mortals to hear and 
obey :— 

“To all who shall render obedience to Me, I shall 
come ; 


I shall come unto them with the blessings of Welfare 
and Immortality, for the actions of their Good 
Spirits 

Thus spake Ahura Mazda. 


LXXXIT 


On Thy behalf, then, shall I speak forth, O Mazda ! 
As one that knows to those who fain would know :— 
“Evil is the portion of the wicked, 

But the wished-for beatitude, the Best Mental State, 
is for the man who maintains for himself the Law 
of fruth.\< 

To announce this message to the wise is the joy of 
Thy Messenger. 


57 


LXXXIII 


Those who are living, those who have been, and those 
who are yet to be, 

Shall attain one of the two awards which He ordains ! 

In Immortality shall the soul of the Righteous be 
ever in Joy, 

But in torment the soul of the Liar shall surely be. 

And these Laws hath Ahura Mazda ordained through 
His sovereign authority. 


LXXXIV 


With my songs of praise, with my_ self-humbling 
worship, I wish to serve my Lord ! 

For now, indeed, I see Him with my own eyes, the 
Lord of the Good Spirit, the Lord of the good 
word and deed. 

I know Him through Truth, who is Ahura Mazda! 

Verily, I shall render Him my homage in the House 
of Songs. 


LXXXV 


My Lord, when shall the day dawn for winning the 
world to the cause of Truth ? 

When shall the wise Spiritual Guides come with the 
sublime teachings of Thy Chosen Saviour ? 

To the help of whom shall they come with the Good 
Mind ? 

As for me, I have chosen Thee as my instructor, Ahura 
Mazda. 


LXXXVI 


When are the men of wisdom coming, O Mazda? 

When shall they remove the filthy evil of intoxication, 

The fell evil of drink, by which the lying Karpans 
and the wicked lords of the lands 

Make desolate the world ? 


59 


LXXXVII 


When, O Mazda, shall Piety come with Truth in our 
lands ? 

When shall happy home-life, rich with heavy pastures, 
come to us through good government ? 

Who shall bring peace to us from cruel and wicked 
men ? 

To whom shall the wisdom of the Good Mind come, 
O Mazda ! 


LXXXVIII 


Tell me, O Ahura, for Thou art the All-Knowing— 

Shall the righteous overcome the evil, godless foe, 
when the great crisis overtakes us ? 

For that were indeed a blessed glorious event for the 
world’s regeneration. 


60 


LXXXIX 


Yoke, yoke Thine ardent steeds, O Ahura Mazda! 

Gain the passes to the Land of Thy Worship! 

Yoke Thy mighty ones and come unto me with Thy 
Spirit of Truth and Thy Good Mind, 

Come unto me, O hasten unto my help, O Mazda! 


XC 


When, with the Divine help of Truth, men shall 
conquer the Lie, 

When deceptions and untruths—for long decried—of 
false gods and baser men stand bare in their 
-ugly nakedness, 

Then Thy worship will blossom in its fullness, bearing 

' the fruit of its rich blessings ! 


61 


aL 


Verily, the Right of the truthful man shall vanquish 
at last the Wrong of the wicked. 

Standing at the Bridge of Judgment, 

The Evil Soul shall behold open the path of the 
righteous ; 

He strives to reach it, but his own deeds prove to be 
his fetters ; 

Trembling and moaning, he finds that he fails. 


XCII 


He who applies well his mind, and sifts things better 
from things worse, 

He who applies well his mind to deepen his insight 
into Faith, 

His wish is in harmony with his cherished and chosen 
ideals ; 

His happy end, at the last, is indeed within Thy 
Understanding, O Mazda ! 


62 


AGI 


Whoever, man or woman, shall do what Thou, O 
Ahura Mazda, knowest to be the Best in Life, 

Whoever shall do right for the sake of Right, 

Whoever, in authority, shall govern only by the aid 
of the Good Mind, 

To all these shall I teach the songs of Thy Praise ; 

Forth shall I lead them all, over the Bridge of 
Judgment. 


XCIV 


O Frashoshtra, of the clan of Hvogva, 
Go thou thither, with these faithful helpers, whom 
we both have chosen for the world’s salvation, 
Thither, where the gentle Armaiti with her active 
mind, goeth hand in hand with Truth, 

Thither, where the Good Mind holds the reins of 
dominion, 

Thither, where the Lord Mazda Himself abides in 
beatific Majesty in the Shining Abode of Desire. 


XCV 


O Maidio-Maha, of the Spitama family, 

Whoso, after becoming learned and wise, 

After gaining insight into Faith, 

Out of his own love for mankind strives to do good 
unto all 

Through the fruitful deeds of a better life, 

And announces to them the laws of Truth and Right 
ordained by Mazda— 

That man, so well offering his life’s work, is an ally 
of the Great Cause ! 


XCVI 


jJamaspa Hvogva, the lord of wealth and power, the 
follower of Truth, 

Doth choose for himself the wisdom of Thy Faith, 
my Lord, 

And so choosing attains to this royal heritage— 

The Kingdom of the Good Mind. 

Grant me, my Lord, that I may so teach the people 

Ever to look for their shelter and protection in Thee, 
O Ahura ! 


64 


ail 


XCVII 


O Pouruchista, scion of the clans of Haechataspa and 
Spitama ! 

Youngest of the daughters of Zarathushtra ! 

The Lord Mazda has ordained for thee, as thy pro- 
tecting lord, 

Jamaspa, who is the constant ally of the Good Mind, 
the strenuous supporter of Truth and Right ; 

Take counsel with thine own understanding ; 

With devotion act well as thy wisdom may direct !! 


XCVIII 


Pouruchista: ‘‘ Verily, loving I shall vie with him in 
love. 

Faithful to my father and to my husband, 

Faithful to the peasants as to the nobles, 

Faithful as a righteous woman should be to the 
righteous, 

Mine shall be the glorious heritage— 

The Light of the Good Mind! 

May Ahura Mazda grant me this blessing that endureth 
for all time!” 


XCIX 


These words do I address to you, maidens marrying, 

These counsels do I give to you, bridegrooms ; 

Pay heed to my words and lay them to heart: 

Learn from the righteous the precepts of the Good 
Religion ; 

Let both strive to lead the life of the Good Mind ; 

With upright hearts love and cherish each other ; 

Then surely a happy home-life shall be yours! 


C 


And these are real facts, O ye men and women! 

No happiness can be yours, if the Lie-demon drives 
the chariot of your lives ; 

Cast off from your selves all evil bonds that may 
chain you to Untruth ; 

Happiness linked with dishonour, happiness that 
harms others, is poison for the seeker. 

The evil-faithless, who brings ruin to the righteous 
here, destroys for himself his spiritual life hereafter. 


66 


CI 


The man of devotion is beneficent to all. 

He is beneficent, because of his hallowed wisdom, 

Because of his realisation of Truth, 

Because of the goodness in his thoughts, in his words 
in his actions. 

Unto him the Lord Ahura shall grant the Kingdom 
of the Good Mind! 

And verily this good blessing I too am longing for! 


Gil 


Then let them pay homage to the Lord Ahura! 

Let them sing His Praise, and render worship, 

Complete with the goodness of their thoughts, their 
words and their deeds. 

May King Vistaspa, Frashoshtra, and the followers of 
Zarathushtra Spitama 

Teach all to keep to the established straight paths of 
the Religion, 

Which Ahura Mazda has ordained for the Princely 
Prophet and the future Spiritual Guides. 


67 


CIil 


O all ye, working with one will, 

Let Truth, Good Thought and Devotion, 

Through which ye progress to the perfection of the 
bountiful Armaiti, 

Bring to you the wished-for ultimate Happiness ! 

O Mazda Ahura! Yearning for the Joy that proceeds 
from Thee, our reverent homage we offer unto 
Thee ! 


CIV 


Ah, the Abode of Songs ! 

The Lord, Ahura Mazda, was the First in the blessed 
Abode of Songs. 

It is the Blessed Reward designated by me, Zara- 
thushtra, for the supporters of the Great Cause! | 

All ye who hearken! It shall still be bestowed upon 
you, 

If the Good Mind leads you, 

If Truth guides your path ! 


68 





| 


| 


CV 


O ye who wish to be allied to the Good Mind, to be 
friends with Truth, 

O ye who desire to sustain the Holy Cause, 

Down with all anger and violence ; 

Away with all ill-will and strife! 

Such benevolent men, O Mazda, I shall verily take to 
the House of Songs. 


CVI 


Tell me, O Mazda, how they should act and work, 


Who love this joy-giving world with its wealth of 
heavy pastures ? 

{Answer :) ‘Living upright lives under the recurring 
splendours of the Sun, 

Living in ordered settlements in harmony with the 
law of Truth, 

These men shall reap the Blessed Reward !”’ 


69 


CVII 


Let those who know well how to rule well, and not 
the evil-rulers, rule us! 

Let them rule us with wisdom—rule us with good 
skill, O Piety ! 

O Thou Best One, make man perfect, and bless with 
a hallowed blessing his future life ; 

Let man be active, zealously caring for his land and 
his cattle, for surely they nourish him. 


CVIII 


Where is the righteous ruler, to befriend the zealous 
and the diligent ? 

Where do mercy and pardon lie? 

When shall Truth come into its own? 

Where is the bountiful Armaiti with her alert and 
active mind ? . 

Whence shall the Good Mind approach us? 

And where, O Mazda, where indeed is Thy Dominion 
and Sovereign Power ? 


70 


CIX 


The daily toiler doth ask these questions, 

That receiving guidance from Truth he may work for 
the world’s welfare ; 

Ever wise in his devotion, 

Ever upright in his actions, 

He acknowledges the Spiritual Chief appointed for the 
well-being of all creation. 


CX 


A righteous government is of all things the most to 
be wished for, 
Bearing the greatest blessings and good fortune to 


people, 

Guided by the Law of Truth, worked with all wisdom 
and zeal, 

It blossoms indeed into the Best of Rule, a Kingdom 
of Heaven ! 


To effect this for us, I will work now and ever. 


71 


CXI 


When I beseech Thee for Grace and Knowledge, O 
Mazda ! 

Thy Spirit of Truth tells me what is within Thy 
Divine Wisdom, 

Tells me ever to choose and to act aright, 

That thereby the truths of Thy Holy Faith 

May vividly be brought into light. 


CXII 


He who lifts his voice in the songs of Thy praise, 

He who, impelled by Truth, kneels in all humility in 
Thy worship, O Lord ! 

He who directs his speech in the right path of wisdom, 

A true friend of Zarathushtra is he! 

Inspired by Thy Good Mind, verily he may announce 
my ordinance ! 


72 


CXIII 


All these indeed gather unto Thee, O Mazda, 
Ever guarded by Thy blessings and Thy might, 
Whose actions accord with Truth, 

Whose words proceed from the Good Mind, 
Whose First Teacher and Inspirer art Thou, O Mazda ! ° 


CXIV 


At the last turning of life, 
To the faithful, making the right choice, distributing 
; goodness among all, 
Doth Ahura Mazda, the Lord Judge, in His Sovereign 
Power, 
Bestow an end better than the good. 
But to him who hath no portion of good, 
He giveth an end worse than the evil, 
At the last turning of life! 


73 


CXV 


The highest aspirations of Spitama Zarathushtra attain 
fruition, my Lord, 

When Thou dost grant him, for his perfect Righteousness, 

The Existence Beautiful enduring for all times ; 

When the unbelievers at last turn to him, 

Eager to learn the Good Words and principles of Thy 
Holy Faith ! 


CXVI 


Singing the holy hymns of Thy Praise, my Lord, 

Singing in the fullness of my heart, 

With hands outstretched, I shall encompass Thee, O 
Mazda ! 

Kneeling in humble prayer, with Truth and the Good 
Mind by my side, 

I shall verily reach Thy Presence, O Mazda! 


74 


CXVIT 


The good deeds that we do, and those we shall do 
hereafter, 

The good things that shine bright and look precious 
to the eye, 

The sun, the stars, the beautiful dawn—the herald 
of the day,— 

They all, in truth, sing Thy praise, O Mazda Ahura! 


CXVITII 


With these Divine Songs I shall come to meet Thee, 
my Lord! 

I shall come, in the company of Truth, aided by the 
deeds of the Good Mind ; 

Seeking earnestly the reward of the beneficent, and 
receiving it, 

I shall be the Master of my own Destiny. 


75 


CXIX 


The Poet of Thy Praise, I call myself, O Mazda! 

And so shall I remain, O Truth, as long as my strength 
and power lasts. 

Let the World-Creator help me through the Good 
Mind ; 

Through His Infinite Grace let that be done which 
shall best promote His Great Cause ! 


CXX 


With Truth moving my heart, 

With Best Thought inspiring my mind, 

With all the might of spiritual force within me, 

I kneel in homage to Thee, my Master, with the songs 
of Thy loving praise ever on my lips! 

And even at the last, when I shall stand at Thy Gate 
as a suppliant, 

I shall hear distinct the sweet echo of my prayers 
from Thy Abode of Songs. 


76 


NOTES 


For the better appreciation of the writings of Zara- 
thushtra it is worth while noting shortly the elements 
of his theology. 

Zarathushtra was a complete monotheist. He further 
recognises that the Supreme Being, the Universal 
Soul, was and is the source of all perfect attributes. 
Six of such divine attributes he refers to in his 
writings. They are as follows :— 


1. The Spirit of the Good Mind (Vohu Mano). 


The Wise Lord is the fountain source of the Perfect 
Good Mind. It is placed first ; for the Good Mind, or 
Good Thought, is the foundation on which the edifice 
of all goodness in words and in actions is based. 
Knowledge and Wisdom, the progressive fruits of the 
Good Mind, are included in its connotation. 


2. The Spirit of Truth and Right (Asha). 


Zarathushtra was among the earliest of mankind, 
if not the very first, to state that the Spirit of Truth 
was part of the very essence of the Supreme Being. 
Righteousness in thought, word, and deed being a phase 
of Truth, Asha includes them all within its meaning. 
From the principles of Truth and Right proceed the 


ei; 


harmony of Universal Law and Order, and hence the 
term Asha is also often used to mean the Holy and 
Immutable Laws of the Universe. 


3. The Spirit of Holy Sovereignty (Khashtra). 


Ahura Mazda is the Supreme Sovereign Lord, and the 
term ‘“‘ Khashtra”’ refers to His Spiritual Sovereignty 
as well as to His Dominion of Heaven. Just as men 
can have the gifts of the Good Mind and Righteousness 
for themselves, so can they establish by means thereof 
a Kingdom of Heaven even on this earth, if they 
would only strive to do so. 


4. The Spirit of Benevolent Devotion and Love 
(Spenta Armaiti). 


It is described as of the active and zealous mind. 
Working diligently for the welfare of mankind, the 
motive force being its love for mankind, it is known 
as the “ Bountiful Armaiti.’”” A peasant toiling 
arduously on his native soil, rearing up his family in 
love, caring for his flock and lands, is more blest by the 
Spirit of Bountiful Armaiti than a recluse who has 
renounced the world and liveson alms. Hence loving 
devotion, diligence, and benevolence are not only com- 
mendable attributes, but become part of a religious 
duty. 


5. The Spirit of Perfection and Healthful Well- 
being (Haurvatat). 

6. The Spirit of Immortality (Ameratat). 

These are said to be the Twin Spirits, or the Twin 
Blessings, which Providence awards to the man who 
yearns for and strives to possess the attributes of the 

78 


Almighty. As Zarathushtra says, in several places, a 
man or woman whois inspired by the Good Mind, whose 
actions are guided by Truth, who works lovingly and 
diligently for the welfare of God’s Creation, who 
strives in his or her own humble way to make the world 
progress towards perfection, will certainly be blessed 
by Providence with the Twin Blessings of a Perfected 
and Happy Life here, and Immortality ever after- 
wards, in the Fair Abode of the Great Father. 


79 





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